Ancestral Discoveries: Dutch Marriage Supplements at last!

In my many years of researching my Dutch ancestry, I've learned that Dutch records are plentiful, but you have to know what you're doing in order to find them. One of the most crucial records for Dutch research after the introduction of the 1811 Civil Registration are the Huwelijksbijlagen, or Marriage Supplements. Ever since 1811, the bride and groom were required to submit several records to prove their eligibility to get married. These records almost always include certified extracts of birth records for the bride and groom, and most importantly, a National Militia Certificate for the groom, which would show that the groom performed his required military duties, due to conscription. These documents usually contained physical descriptions until about 1861, as well as their signature. As I descend from several Dutch couples who married after 1811, these records have long been sought-after by me, especially for the National Militia Certificates. Yet, for the longest time, I have been unable to find any- until yesterday! How did this change, and what does this mean for my Dutch research going forward? 

First of all, the Huwelijksbijlagen are not indexed. This is the main problem for researchers, as it means you have to sift through the collections to find them. These collections are not found on WieWasWie or seemingly most of the other main Dutch genealogy sites. These collections can be found on FamilySearch, under the appropriate Province's civil registration records. However, you need to know a few details on what you're looking for, or otherwise, like me, you'll quickly find yourself lost within the records. 

Here's how I figured out how to find them. First, if you have the marriage record on WieWasWie, look for the Aktenummer (Source number on the English version of the site). Most of the Municipal collections of the Huwelijksbijlagen are sorted by year, and then by Aktenummer. This will usually lead you right to the Marriage Supplements for your ancestors. 

For example, my 6th great grandparents, Jan Been Stephanus and Jantjen Zwep, were married on February 12, 1825 in Elburg, Province of Gelderland. This is after 1811, so Huwelijksbijlagen should exist for this marriage. When I look at the marriage record on WieWasWie, I notice that the Aktenummer is 2. With this information, I can go to FamilySearch and access the collection of Gelderland Civil Registration Records on the site. Under Elburg, I find "Huwelijksbijlagen 1822-1842". Within this collection, I would sift through it until I find 1825, and then the second set of marriage supplements for that year would be the ones for my ancestors. Luckily, I found the supplements for this marriage using these steps, and several others too! The only supplements I had trouble finding were for my 4th great grandparents, Gerrit ter Vree and Gesiena Kamferbeek, but this is because Zwolle, where they married, apparently did not index their Huwelijksbijlagen very well. I found the records after a bit of looking, but it was much harder then for the rest of my ancestors. 

While I haven't actively studied the Marriage Supplements I have found yet, I seem to have found a new facts, for example, the Baptism date of my 4th great grandfather Gerrit ter Vree and the birth city of my 5th great grandfather Jan Verhoef. Several of my ancestors have physical descriptions on their National Militia Certificates that I would love to analyze, as well as signatures, and my 4th great grandfather Hendrik Otte's Certificate seems to list his regiment, in the Infantry. The Marriage Supplements for my 4th great grandfather Quirinus Huijser seem to include several extracts that could lead to breakthroughs in his ancestry. And this is only what I've found at first glance! Who knows what I will find if I keep looking! And I still have more to find! 

Further Links

• https://www.dutchgenealogy.nl/marriage-supplements/   Marriage supplements: gateway to more information about your ancestors
• https://www.dutchgenealogy.nl/physical-descriptions-in-military-records/   Physical descriptions in military records 
• https://www.antecedentia.com/2020/06/marriage-supplements-for-jan-pieter-pool/   Marriage Supplements For Jan Pieter Pool